With every book I spend some time at the beginning digging around the internet for that one picture that captures my character. They’re almost always actors/actresses, but its never that actual person, just the one image that seems to evoke the right essence to me.

With Sabine I knew that I needed a woman that was so beautiful, almost too pretty. Her being a descendent of Atlantis was important to the storyline and I wanted her to look different than the rest of the women in England. So I came across this picture of Kate Beckinsale and it was perfect.

Max was a little bit different process. Originally when he was a character in Seduce Me, his name was actually Peter and it was requested that I change that during the revision process. Well, when I renamed him to Maxwell, the feel of his character changed so I had to go and find a new image. It was so late in the game that I had to stay with the features I’d given him, the blond hair and blue eyes, but I just couldn’t use the same image.

I know it’s probably wrong, but I think my favorite character from the book is actually the villainess. She was so much fun. Every time Cassandra walked on stage her scenes just flowed. She was so deliciously nasty, so conniving and I loved every minute of her. I also knew because of her vanity that she had to be an attractive woman, but I wanted a different feel from her than Sabine. Where Sabine was warm, I wanted Cassandra to be icy.

Ah Spencer Cole, the real baddie in the book and a true megalomaniac. But in order to achieve the amount of success he had in life he had to be charming and handsome, but there’s that element of ick to him, at least from my perspective because I knew what he was capable of. He’s responsible for a pretty high body count in this book and I wanted and needed an image that reflected that innate creepiness, but perhaps only to those who was looking for it.

Lydia

Agnes

Calliope

So that was how I envisioned the characters and I hope it fits with some of yours. How do you envision characters as a reader? Do you think of an actor and fit him in or do you go by the cover? Do the authors’ descriptions create an image in your mind? Comment and you’ll have a chance to win an autographed copy of Desire Me along with an autographed copy of Shana Galen’s The Making of a Duchess. I happened to pick up an extra copy at a booksigning we did together last weekend.

And don’t forget that any comments made between now and June 30th count toward our Sony e-reader contest. Comment the most and you could win!

Gillian – you won my drawing yesterday – Send me (margomaguire@yahoo.com)  your snail mail address and I’ll get The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance into the mail to you asap. Congratulations!

We don’t usually put up a new blog on Sundays, but I decided I’d do something a little different this weekend. While playing the “what if” game by myself (something authors do when creating a  new story ) I started wondering how you would answer this question: What if you could travel in time? Which way would you go? Forward or back? What time and place would you like to visit? I’m not going to tell you how I answered this question for myself - but I’d like to know what you think. I’ll choose one lucky commenter to receive a copy of The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance. I contributed a story to this book a few months ago, and I have to say I really enjoyed all the stories in it. Perfect beach reading!

And so is my current book, The Rogue Prince, which takes place in London, 1817. I’m not so sure I’d like to go back to that era – athough it would be cool to see streets filled with horses and carriages, and all the street vendors. Hmmm… I can just about smell the place now.

Let me know what era and place you’d visit if you could land anywhere on civilization’s timeline. And remember – everyone who comments on the Jaunty Quills’ blog starting this weekend through the end of June will be entered to win a Sony e-reader!

Today I went out for lunch with a friend, then we went for a walk (fun, but it got waaaaay too hot). Before I went home I went to the mall (by myself) and picked up a couple of things. Very enjoyable.

This got me to thinking about what would I like to do if I had a whole day to do whatever I wanted. So let’s pretend (because we all like to pretend…right?) that today is YOUR day. I’d like to know what you’d do. Forget about the family…husbands, boyfriends, children etc. Let’s just talk about YOU.

If it was Cindy’s day….I’d sleep until I woke up (no alarms allowed on Cindy’s day)…then I’d make some coffee and leisurely read the paper (no rushing on Cindy’s day)…I’d work on my current work-in-progress (because I REALLY do love to write) then meet a friend for lunch, go for a walk then head home and work on my book (again). I’d probably meet someone for dinner and a movie, then come home and read before I fell asleep.

Hmmm, sounds kind of boring, doesn’t it? But it sounds like a wonderful Cindy’s day to me.

Okay, your turn. What would your wonderful day look like?

Although I’m not offering any prizes this week….I want to remind you that for every post you make between June 14-June 30 you get one entry into our contest to win a…..SONY E-READER!!!!! So what are you waiting for? Tell me about your day…

Please welcome our guest, Michele Hauf today!

Just got back from the office supply store. I don’t know about you, but office supplies dazzle me. I can spend a long time in that store, marveling, dreaming, wondering at usefulness, imagining what I could possibly do with that. Today I got those divider thingies you put in a 3-ring binder. One set for Topics, and another set for the Alphabet. Joy!

You see, I’m finally figuring out that since I’ve written so many paranormal romances set in the same world, I should probably start organizing that world. Take some notes on it, perhaps? Write down characters’ names and details about them like where they live, hold old they are, what they look like, what they are. Other things I’ve neatly arranged in my precious World Binder are maps, a term list, character quotes, character cheat sheets (with their pictures so I can remember what they look like), creature lists (so I remember that my vampires bite, but my werewolves do not), and anything related to my world.

Oh, and I have to give this grand world a name, so I’ve called it BEAUTIFUL CREATURES. I like it. It works for me. Right now I’ve got 60+ characters listed, over a dozen creature types, and too many terms to count. This organization idea was a life saver. Now I can actually scan through and see who that guy was seven books ago that liked butterflies and called his lover ‘Dear’. Or who lives in Berlin, and can do a cameo scene in my current WIP, set in Berlin. And what, exactly, happens when a vampire bites a faery (it’s not pretty, trust me).

I love clutching my 3-ring binder to my chest and knowing I hold my whole world in my hands.

Heck, I just love a good excuse to go to the office supply store.

I have two copies of my latest ANGEL SLAYER, set in the Of Angels and Demons series and available from Harlequin Nocturne, to give away to two commentors today! And if you’ve read ANGEL SLAYER, I also have a short story, “Halo Hunter” currently available (and about Michael Donovan, a secondary character in Angel Slayer) that is an electronic book you can download at Amazon, eharlequin or any of your favorite online retailers. Read the first chapter of both stories at my website!

Tell me, do office supply stores beguile you? Do you take joy in organizing, no matter if it’s a world, a shelf of books, or a pantry full of groceries?

Visit Michele at her website: MicheleHauf
Blog: Michele’s Blog
Facebook: Michele’sFB
Twitter: Michele’sTwitter

I’m writing the (first draft of) this post longhand at a café table next to a fountain. I’m sipping a cappuccino (triple shot, nonfat, with a healthy cap of cinnamon powder) digging the white noise of the spouting water and musing about how cool it is that today this is my office.

One of the best perquisites of writing for a living is the portable office.

I’ve gotten to the point where I can write almost anywhere… as long as I have my laptop or pen and paper and a temperate climate (subtext: 75 degrees or lower, thank you very much.  I’m an agreeable employee, but my muse goes on strike at the first bead of perspiration).

I’ve written in airports; in the car on road trips as my husband drove ( one of my favorite “office days.”  Funny though, he wasn’t keen on the idea of driving me around on a daily basis while I wrote… can you believe it? Not even after I tossed out the words team player… ). I’ve written at the mall as my daughter and her friends shopped; during youth orchestra rehearsals; on school field trip busses; during horseback riding lessons and ballet classes. I’ve actually finished more than one book at the beach (yes, in a bathing suit, ten yards from the surf – casual office days).

I must confess: this bonus didn’t come built into the job; it evolved out of necessity as I tried to maximize my productivity without sacrificing too much family time (though all bets are off when I’m on deadline). After I realized I could be productive working outside of my writing cave a funny thing happened…it dawned on me I needn’t be tied to my conventional office chair at my cumbersome desktop computer… that sometimes, even when necessity didn’t dictate, a change of venue was refreshing and quite pleasing to the old temperamental muse.  

On another note, a quick reminder: don’t forget that beginning Monday (June 14), we’re kicking off our contest to win a free Sony E-Reader. All you have to do to win is comment on the blogs you read here every day. Each time you comment you’re entered. A winner will be randomly picked from all those who comment between Monday, June 14 and Wednesday, June 30. So the more you comment, the more chances you have to win! Keep visiting and keep commenting.

You can start warming up by telling us where’s the most interesting place your job has taken you, or if you’re a writer, where’s your favorite place to set up your portable office?

Be sure to check out Nancy Robards Thompson’s Silhouette Special Edition, Accidental Father. RT Book Reviews gives it 4 ½ stars and says: “…This heartwarming story with strong, genuine characters and a strong plot to match is definitely hard to put down.” Available July 2010.

Last week I starting walking with my dog again. I need the exercise and so does Sam after staying in nearly all winter. I can do a two mike hike without a problem, though Sam  slows down a lot on the way back. But considering how nuts he is at first, it’s no wonder. He expends his energy before we’ve walked a block!

Sam really needs a lot training on the leach “in public.” He’s just fine in the house or in the back yard where I’ve done the bulk of training with him. But once we walk out the door and head to the curb, look out.  I’ve tried carrying training treats in the hope he’d be swayed by food, but he’s not the least bit interested and barely listens to me. 

Thankfully he’s not the least bit agressive to people or other dogs we pass. 

But his attention swings back and forth to other things at a mind-numbing rate. I can imagine what goes through his mind. “Ooo a squirral, ooo a rabbit, ooo a grasshopper, ooo  a leaf blowing across the sidewalk.” And on and on…

If he wasn’t behaved in the house I’d swear he had canine ADHD! And yes, dogs can get it.

In theory Sam is supposed to be a fairly laid-back dog. He’s half chow chow, and here’s what it says on their site about chows and exercise.

The Chow Chow will do with brisk daily walks and with some romps in the yard or in the garden. It is not a high-energy breed and will not need a lot of exercise, just enough to keep it fit and healthy.

Energy Level:
Below average.

Ok, the behaved quiet indoor side of Sam is chow.  And yes, he does look calm.  Believe me that picture is deceiving!

We’re not sure about his daddy, but the vet guessed either shepherd or golden retriever. (After that first walk of the season, I’m suspecting puppy daddy was a Mazda! Zoom-zoom…)

So I told the vet I was worried that Sam was hyper and she suggested that along with exercise that I increase his mental stimulation.  I googled mental exercises for dogs because seriously I don’t know what Sam would find challenging when he is poke-nosy about everything.

A game of hide and seek can be played both indoors and outdoors. Many dogs will naturally play this game both because they are instinctually good at tracking and retrieving and because they want to be in their owners presence. Hide and seek requires that your dog use her mental skills to track you down.

In theory this is great, but we tried this one and I’m not fond of when Sam catches me because he just pounces.  That’s fine for a puppy but he weighs sixty-five pounds now.  Him pouncing on my lap now???  (Think the movie Elf.)

Exercise. Lots of exercise. If you can incorporate exercise with another activity such as playing, “Find the ball,” or doing some agility exercises, then that’s even better.

Sam’s not a ball kind of dog. He has a huge Nylabone and a thick knotted rope, both chewing exercises. But if I tell him to fetch either he does. So he’s not a dumb dog. 

 Brain teaser toys. There are a number of cool toys that actually challenge your dog’s mind. For example, one of the more popular ones is the “Buster Cube,” a plastic cube that releases a pellet of food, every third or fourth time the Cube is rolled over. Or kong toys where you put a treat inside and the dog has to find a way to get it out.

Next time I’m in the pet store, I’ll pick one of these up. Who knows, maybe  all Sam needs to get him used to listening to me is mental stimulation.  Maybe he’ll settle down yet and be a great dog to take out in public.

Or maybe this is simply Sam, and he’s going to go through life full tilt — tongue lolling, tail wagging and running with the wind.    

So I’m open for some advice. Anyone have a better idea to get Sam to listen?  Any hints for when we’re out walking and he’s trying to lung ahead?  Do you have a pet that has a mind of its own?

Over the past year, I’ve become much more conscious about what my family and I are eating.  I buy organic milk and vegetables whenever possible.  I try to attend the nearby farmers’ markets a couple of times a month to buy eggs, veggies, honey, and other locally-produced items.  I’ve also started growing my own tomatoes, in part because they’re so expensive in the grocery stores.  And, I have to say, there’s nothing quite like the taste of a plump, juicy, sun-ripened, home-grown tomato.

Early this year, I started off with one tomato plant that cost me just under $3.50.  I bought it on a warm day in January and stuck in a terra-cotta pot on our back patio.  Within a few weeks, it quickly outgrew the flimsy stake I put in with it to help it grow nice and straight, and so I purchased a wire “cage” and used twist-ties to anchor the stems, which already bore flowers.  About a month ago, I picked my first tomato from this plant, and this past week, got four more.  There are at least ten more green tomatoes readying to ripen.

I can’t quite describe how proud I was, picking my own tomatoes that I’ve watched develop from the size of small beads.  I was so excited, I rushed into the house and thrust the tomatoes at my daughter, busy catching up with school friends via Facebook.  My husband, The Brit, whose computer is near my daughter’s, was in the midst of a crucial battle in one of his online computer games.

“Look!” I said.  “Tomatoes!”

My daughter rolled her eyes and grinned.  “Yeah, Mom.”

My husband, glancing away from his computer screen for the barest moment, says, “Where?”  His attention immediately returns to the chaos on screen.

“Here,” I said, moving closer.  “Aren’t they amazing?  These tomatoes came off our plant.”

My husband looks at me again, this time with a hint of mischief in his eyes.  “I don’t see any tomatoes.  Those are to-MAH-toes.”

“No, Honey,” I said, smiling back. “They’re to-MAY-toes.”

“Those to-MAH-toes look pretty good to me.”

And with that, he’d won the round.  I mean, how could he not, when he talked in that amazing voice, with that amazing accent, and complimented my humble gardening efforts?  And those to-MAH-toes were delicious, cut up on salad, sprinkled with a bit of sea salt and pepper, and splashed with lemon juice and olive oil.

They were so good, in fact, I went out the following day and bought four more plants.  With luck, we will be eating tomatoes—or, if you prefer, to-MAH-toes—all summer.

***

Even though my latest book is set in England, there are no to-MAH-toes to be found anywhere in the story.  If you’d like to check out reviews of A Knight’s Persuasion, and read an excerpt, please visit my website.

***

Are you growing any veggies in your garden this year?  If so, what have you planted?

Hello? Hello? Can everyone hear me? Great…because I’m going to talk about sex. Whoo-hoo! Hello, Monday morning!

I must state up front that this blog probably carries a PG-13 rating. It may get almost as steamy as the “making out with my own hand” blog from a few weeks ago. Prepare yourselves accordingly…cold compresses, smelling salts, Irish coffee, adult toys, whatever you need.

Now granted, the romance genre envelops hugely different ways of writing love scenes. I’m on the cleaner side…some of my sister Quills are quite steamy (you know who you are). My characters have sex, sure. I honestly don’t think it adds to my particular style to detail every move. During a recent panel discussion, Kathryn Smith described my love scenes as “emotionally sexy,” which I found quite flattering. I, in turn, called hers “hot and raunchy,” which she vowed to have tattooed somewhere on her person. (Kate? We’re still waiting.)

But here’s the thing. Here are two things, actually. First, I’ve been married a nice long time. McIrish and I are quite happy. This is code, of course. You know what for, and if you don’t, well, ask around. I announced it during an acceptance speech a couple of years ago (didn’t expect to win, was very flustered and happy and — clearly — not referring to note cards).

Second, I was raised Catholic, went to Catholic school, then Catholic college. Intimate relations were not discussed. May have been had, but certainly not discussed! So writing a love scene…it goes against certain grains.

Now don’t get me wrong. I certainly love a good love scene, whether they’re rated PG or NC-17. But they’re not that important to me as a reader. I don’t pore over those pages (well…not anymore. Back when I was high school, I could tell you the page numbers of the “good parts.”) These days, though, a love scene doesn’t make or break the story. Not when I’m living the dream, know what I’m saying?

So when it comes to writing a love scene, I’m always a bit torn over how much, ah, information to include. I want it to be, in Kate’s words, emotionally sexy. This is a very important moment in a romance novel, after all! This is when the hero and heroine really commit to each other (most times, anyway). This means something, and it usually means something really, really good. So you want to show certain things, certain emotions, certain, er, reactions. Sensory details, you hear what I’m saying. As a writer, you have to feel the touch, you have to hear the sounds, you have to taste ah, other stuff. You have to name body parts.

Once upon a time, I did try to write a detailed love scene. It was a deflowering. (Even “deflowering” was hard for me to write just now, so you know where this is going.) There I was, typing away, describing just how Tab A fit into Slot B and the noises the owner of Slot B and Tab A were making, and I had to use words like “nipple” and “hardness” and the inevitable happened. I got the giggles. Oh, my God! It was church-laughing…uncontrollable, unstoppable, unending gales of laughter.

And then, to see these words, typed by my own fingers, there on the screen in front of me! Ack! I had to turn my head away, feeling that I was somehow defiling my kiddies, who were napping. Yes, Mommy’s writing dirty scenes. Well, not dirty…but okay, yes, dirty. Sex is happening on Mommy’s computer! Mommy’s typing “moist.” Bad enough that my grandparents were still alive…I was typing (at the time) in the playroom.

The end result was such a sloppy, hilarious mess, so completely un-horny, so inadvertently horrifying, that I vowed never to try again. And hence, I do the before and after, and I refer to the during, but I don’t show it. For now, it’s working out pretty well, for me and, judging from the letters I get, for my readers, too. So, in other words, I hope it was good for you, too. J

What’s your take on love scenes, folks? Ever read a love scene that was inadvertently horrible, as mine was? Do you prefer that the bedroom door be closed for a love scene, or do you like them — as Terri Brisbin would say — juicy?  If you’re a writer, what’s your take on creating a real doozy?

Karyn,

You’re the winner of Kris Kennedy’s latest release– The Irish Warrior!

Please email Kris through her website– www.kriskennedy.net to claim your prize.

Thanks to everyone who commented and made Kris feel so welcome!